Nehemiah 7:22 — Word Study
WLCבְּנֵ֣י חָשֻׁ֔ם שְׁלֹ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת עֶשְׂרִ֥ים וּשְׁמֹנָֽה׃ ס
BSAthe descendantsbên [sons, children, or family line] of HashumChâshum [a common Israelite name] 328shâlôwsh
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| בְּנֵ֣י | [the] descendants of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| חָשֻׁ֔ם | Hashum | Noun proper masculine |
| שְׁלֹ֥שׁ | three | Adj |
| מֵא֖וֹת | hundred | |
| עֶשְׂרִ֥ים | twenty | |
| וּשְׁמֹנָֽה׃ ס | and eight | Conjunction |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | the descendants of Hashum, 328; |
| KJV | The children of Hashum, three hundred twenty and eight. |
| ASV | The children of Hashum, three hundred twenty and eight. |
| YLT | Sons of Hashum: three hundred twenty and eight. |
| WEB | The children of Hashum: three hundred twenty-eight. |
| BBE | The children of Hashum, three hundred and twenty-eight. |
Where they part company is in the rendering of the numbers — see How Translations Differ.
The verse consists of a main clause followed by a numeral phrase, presenting the information in a straightforward manner.
3 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Nehemiah 7:22
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Census of the Returning Exilesgenerated
Nehemiah 7:22 is part of a list that documents the families returning to Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. This census highlights the importance of lineage and community in the restoration of Israel. Each family is counted to show the fulfillment of God's promise to bring His people back to their land, as seen in Ezra 2:19.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ezra 2:19 | the descendants of Hashum, 223; |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — בְּנֵ֣י, be.Neigenerated
The word בֵּן (ben) translates to 'son' or 'descendant.' It encompasses a range of meanings including children, family lines, and can even refer to groups or classes. In this verse, it indicates the descendants of a specific individual, emphasizing familial relationships.
In the context of this verse, the use of בֵּן signifies the importance of lineage in the Israelite community, as each family is accounted for in the return from exile. This reflects the broader theme of restoration and identity in the post-exilic period.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
In this study, we reference the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), which uses the phrase the descendants of.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The structure of this verse is straightforward, with a main clause that identifies the subject: בְּנֵי חָשֻׁ֔ם (the descendants of Hashum). This is followed by a numeral phrase that states the count of descendants: שְׁלֹ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת עֶשְׂרִ֥ים וּשְׁמֹנָֽה (328). The simplicity of the structure reflects the nature of the census.
The main verb is implied in the enumeration of descendants, as the focus is on the listing of names and numbers. This method of presentation is typical in genealogical records, emphasizing the importance of each family line.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates בְּנֵי as υἱοὶ (huioi), which also means 'sons' or 'descendants.' This choice reflects the same familial emphasis found in the Hebrew text.
The LXX does not provide a direct numerical equivalent for the count, but the use of ησαμ suggests a similar focus on lineage and community.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Nehemiah 7:22 lists the descendants of Hashum, totaling 328 individuals. This verse is part of a larger record documenting the families returning to Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile, emphasizing the importance of lineage.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
In this context, 'descendants' refers to the sons, children, or family line of Hashum, highlighting the importance of lineage in the Israelite community.
The number signifies the size of the family returning from exile, which is important for the restoration of the community in Jerusalem.
The name Hashum means 'rich' and was a common name among Israelites, indicating a connection to wealth or prosperity.
This verse contributes to the overall theme of restoration and rebuilding in Nehemiah, as it documents the families that returned to Jerusalem to re-establish their community.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How does understanding family lineage enhance our appreciation of the biblical narrative?
- What significance do numbers hold in genealogical records within the Bible?
- In what ways can we see God's faithfulness in the restoration of His people?
- How can we apply the concept of community and lineage in our own lives today?
Commentators on this verse — 3 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Nehemiah 7:22 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThese are the children of the province, that went up out of the captivity, of those that had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and came again to Jerusalem
Read Robert Jamieson on Nehemiah 7 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(5-73) The genealogical reckoning of the people, as the first step towards increasing the population of the metropolis, is determined on, not without express Divine suggestion; the allusion to this inspiration from God, is, as in Nehemiah 2:12, very emphatic. The original register of Zerubbabelis found and copied. The express language of both Ezra and Nehemiah makes it plain that this is no other than the list of those who came up with Zerubbabel and Joshua after the decree of Cyrus, in B.C. 538. Nehemiah’s own census follows, in Nehemiah 11. The exposition, especially as compared with Ezra 2, has been given on that chapter.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Nehemiah 7 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges21–23. Ater … Hashum … Bezai … Hariph] In Ezra the order is Ater, Bezai, Jorah (= Hariph), Hashum. For Hariph see Nehemiah 10:19.
Read Cambridge on Nehemiah 7 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
the descendants of Hashum, 328;
The children of Hashum: three hundred twenty-eight.
the descendants of Hashum, 328;
the descendants of Hashum, 328;
Tyndale line
The children of Hashum, three hundred twenty and eight.
The children of Hashum, three hundred twenty and eight.
The children of Hashum, three hundred twenty and eight.
The children of Hashum, three hundred and twenty eight.
The sonnes of Hashum, three hundreth and eight and twentie.
Strictly literal
The children of Hashum, three hundred and twenty-eight.
Sons of Hashum: three hundred twenty and eight.
sons of Hashum, three hundred twenty-eight;
The children of Chashum, three hundred twenty and eight.
The descendants of Hashum, 328.
From the Latin
The children of Hasem, three hundred twenty-eight.
Simplified
the sons of Hashum, 328;
The children of Hashum, three hundred and twenty-eight.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint show agreement in the identification of Hashum's descendants. However, only three of the six words in the Septuagint match the Hebrew, indicating some differences in word order and structure.
בְּנֵ֣י חָשֻׁ֔ם שְׁלֹ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת עֶשְׂרִ֥ים וּשְׁמֹנָֽה׃ ס
3 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Nehemiah 7:22
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
בֵּן (ben) means 'son' or 'male child' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including descendants, young animals, and even figurative uses like sparks or arrows. It can refer to members of a tribe or class and is used in various contexts throughout the Old Testament, such as in 1 Chronicles 24:26. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to build' and implies a connection to family or lineage.
בֵּן 4870 n.m. son
son, male child, born of a woman
children (male and female)
youth, young men
the young of animals
of plant shoots
fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
member of a guild, order or class
of animals son of (the) herd
ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
n. relat. of age
base
בְּנוֹ 1 Ch 24:26, 27 as n.pr.m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son, cf. VB & Be Öt.
done
H1121a בֵּן son . son, male child, born of a woman
. children (male and female)
. youth, young men
. the young of animals
. of plant shoots
. fig. of lifeless things, sparks, stars, arrows
. . member of a guild, order or class
. of animals son of (the) herd
. ב׳ as n. relat. followed by word of quality, characteristic, etc.
. n. relat. of age
H1121b בְּנוֹ as n. pr. m. in AV, RV, but render: the sons of Jaaziah his son, & the sons of Merari by Jaaziah his son
1121 ben bane
from 1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the
widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship,
including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition,
etc., (like 1, 251, etc.)):--+ afflicted, age, (Ahoh-)
(Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-)ite, (anoint-)ed one, appointed to,
(+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-)ian, one born,
bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X
came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of
first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, +
kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+)
people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, +
spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous
one, + valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
see HEBREW for 01129
see HEBREW for 01
see HEBREW for 0251
בֵּן (ben) — son: child.
: child/son
בְּנוֹ (be.no) — Beno.
A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ch.24.26;
son of: Jaaziah (H3269);
brother of: Shoham (H7719), Zaccur (H2139I) and Ibri (H5681)
§ Beno = "his son"
the sons of Jaaziah and the sons of Merari by Jaahziah (his son)
בֵּן (ben) — son: descendant/people.
: descendant, people, tribe, nation
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : child/son
בֵּן (ben) — son: young animal.
: calf/lamb/young(ANIMAL)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : descendant
בֵּן (ben) — son: type of.
: rebel/son(Belial)
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
§ : people/men/nation/tribe
בֵּן (ben) — son.
: [inheriting]son/heir
A sub-meaning of ben (בֵּן ": child" H1121)
בֵּן (ben) — son: warrior.
: warrior/son(strong)
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural constructHNcmpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
חָשֻׁם (Chashum) refers to a name meaning 'rich.' It identifies a man associated with the Exile and Return period, specifically as the head of a family of 223 exiles returning with Zerubbabel. He is mentioned in Ezra 2:19 and Nehemiah 8:4 and 10:18, where he is noted as a priest or Levite.
חָשֻׁם n.pr.m. head of a family of returned exiles
base
H2828 חָשֻׁם
2828 Chashum khaw-shoom'
from the same as 2831; enriched; Chashum, the name of two or
three Israelites:--Hashum.
see HEBREW for 02831
חָשֻׁם (cha.shum) — Hashum.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.2.19
§ Hashum = "rich"
1) head of a family of 223 exiles returning with Zerubbabel
2) one of the priests or Levites who stood on Ezra's left while he read the law
חָשֻׁם (cha.shum) — Hashum.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Neh.8.4
§ Hashum = "rich"
1) head of a family of 223 exiles returning with Zerubbabel
2) one of the priests or Levites who stood on Ezra's left while he read the law
חָשֻׁם (cha.shum) — Hashum.
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Neh.10.18
§ Hashum = "rich"
1) head of a family of 223 exiles returning with Zerubbabel
2) one of the priests or Levites who stood on Ezra's left while he read the law
N-proper — Noun proper masculineHNpm
ha'-shum (chashum):
(1) In Ezr 2:19; Ne 7:22, "children of Hashum" are mentioned among the returning exiles. In Ezr 10:33 (compare 1 Esdras 9:33, "Asom"), members of the same family are named among those who married foreign wives.
(2) One of those who stood on Ezra's left at the reading of the law (Ne 8:4; /APC 1Esdras 9:44, "Lothasubus"). The signer of the covenant (Ne 10:18) is possibly the same.
(rich). Bene-Hashum, 223 in number, came back from Babylon with Zerubbabel. (Ezra 2:19; 10:33; Nehemiah 7:22) (B.C. before 536.) The chief man of the family was among these who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah. (Nehemiah 10:18) (B.C. 410.) One of the priests or Levites who stood on Ezra’s left hand while he read the law to the congregation. (Nehemiah 8:4) (B.C. 410.)
silence; their hasting
The Hebrew word שָׁלֹשׁ (*shalosh*) means 'three' or 'triad.' It can also refer to the ordinal 'third' and is used in various contexts, including multiplication as 'thrice.' The entries consistently define it as a primitive number without significant disagreement.
שָׁלֹשׁ, שָׁלוֹשׁ, שְׁלֹשָׁה 430 n.m. et f. a three, triad
base
H7969 שָׁלֹשׁ, שָׁלוֹשׁ, שְׁלֹשָׁה a three, triad
7969 shalowsh shaw-loshe'
or shalosh {shaw-loshe'}; masculine shlowshah {shel-o-shaw'};
or shloshah {shel-o-shaw'}; a primitive number; three;
occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multipl.) thrice:--+ fork,
+ often(-times), third, thir(-teen, -teenth), three, + thrice.
Compare 7991.
see HEBREW for 07991
שָׁלֹשׁ (sha.losh) — three.
1) three, triad
1a) 3, 300, third
Aramaic equivalent: te.lat (תְּלָת "three" H8532)
Adj — AdjHAcbsc
(shalosh; treis).
See NUMBER.
The phrase "three days and three nights," Mt 12:40, was equivalent in Hebrew to the English "three days;" the Jews employing the expression "a day and a night" to denote our "day" of twentyfour hours. Nor did "three days," 1Sa 30:13, literally "this third day," according to their usage, necessarily include the whole of three days, but a part of three days, a continuous period including one whole day of twenty-four hours, and a portion of the day preceding it and the day following it. Compare Ge 7:12,17 1Sa 30:12-13.
מֵאָה (me'ah) means 'hundred' in Hebrew. It can refer to a simple number, a component of a larger number, or a fraction representing one one-hundredth. The entries consistently describe its use as a numeral without significant disagreement.
מֵאָה 583 n.f. hundred
as simple number
as part of larger number
a hundredth part
base
H3967 מֵאָה hundred . as simple number
. as part of larger number
. a hundredth part
3967 me'ah may-aw'
or metyah {may-yaw'}; properly, a primitive numeral; a
hundred; also as a multiplicative and a
fraction:--hundred((-fold), -th), + sixscore.
מֵאָה (me.ah) — hundred.
1) hundred
1a) as simple number
1b) as part of larger number
1c) as a fraction-one one-hundredth (1/100)
Aramaic equivalent: me.ah (מְאָה "hundred" H3969)
HAcfpa — HAcfpa
hun'-dred (me'-ah; hekaton).
See NUMBER.
עֶשְׂרִים (esriym) means 'twenty' and can also refer to the ordinal 'twentieth.' It is derived from the root word for 'ten' and has an Aramaic equivalent, עֶשְׂרִין (es.rin). The entries consistently define the term without significant disagreement.
עֶשְׂרִים (a) twenty
base
H6242 עֶשְׂרִים (a) twenty
6242 `esriym es-reem'
from 6235; twenty; also (ordinal) twentieth:--(six-)score,
twenty(-ieth).
see HEBREW for 06235
עֶשְׂרִים (es.rim) — twenty.
twenty, twentieth
Aramaic equivalent: es.rin (עֶשְׂרִין "twenty" H6243)
HAcmpa — HAcmpa
twen'-ti.
See NUMBER.
שְׁמֹנֶה (shmoneh) means 'eight' and can also denote 'eighth' as an ordinal number. It is derived from the idea of plumpness, suggesting a surplus beyond seven, which is considered a perfect number. The term appears in various contexts, including combinations with other numbers.
שְׁמֹנֶה, (less oft. שְׁמוֹנֶה), שְׁמֹנָה 109 n.m. et f. eight
base
H8083 שְׁמֹנֶה, (less oft. שְׁמוֹנֶה), שְׁמֹנָה eight
8083 shmoneh shem-o-neh'
or shmowneh {shem-o-neh'}; feminine shmonah {shem-o-naw'}; or
shmownah {shem-o-naw'}; apparently from 8082 through the idea
of plumpness; a cardinal number, eight (as if a surplus above
the "perfect" seven); also (as ordinal)
eighth:--eight((-een, -eenth)), eighth.
see HEBREW for 08082
שְׁמֹנֶה (she.mo.neh) — eight.
1) eight, eighth
1a) eight (as cardinal number)
1b) eighth (as ordinal number)
1c) in combination with other numbers
HC/Acbsa — ConjunctionHC/Acbsa